Tiriaq

CW: This character exhibits abusive and violent behavior.

"What are you going to do? Go cry to your mom? Do it... See what happens."

In a secluded clearing a ways off from Pineshade Hollow, you see this white wolf standing with his tail curled up, hovering over a smaller male with a tawny pelt. Tiriaq's snout is stained red, and you can see that the smaller wolf - Utchunquoyes - is bleeding slightly from a wound on his upper shoulder. You cannot hear it over the whimpering, but you can see that Tiriaq is laughing.

Tiriaq and his littermate, Aqissiaq, were born during a terrible snowstorm. Their mother, Tanana, made a nearly fatal error in attempting to go out to secure emergency rations from a local trader. On the way, she encountered an aggressive moose. The fight was brutal, and she was lucky to escape with her life. It became apparent that the impact of the moose's antlers had caused her to go into labor, and so Tanana was forced to return home for help. Falcon, the herbalist, was unable to stall the labor, and so Aqissiaq and Tiriaq made a premature entrance into the world.

They were tiny at birth, and incredibly weak. Falcon warned Tanana and Ambrose that their pups were unlikely to survive due to their prematurity and the winter cold. Even so, the pups were greeted and enveloped with every ounce of love that their parents had to give.

As the weeks rolled by, the pups did indeed gain strength and grow. While they were still somewhat small and frail for their age, they no longer emanated an aura of hopelessness. The two started showing their personalities early on, and were surprisingly quick to come into their own.

At two months old, it became clear that something was slightly off with Tiriaq. He did not respond to warning yelps during play the way that a normal puppy would. Instead of learning when a bite had gone too far, Tiriaq seemed to think that this was just another part of the game. He would bite harder. When the pupsitters or his parents inevitably came to pry Tiriaq off of his chosen victim, Tiriaq would laugh and squirm, eager to watch the other wolf reacting to their wounds. No amount of lecturing worked to correct the behavior. Oriole was forced to keep him isolated from other pups more often than not, and the adults in the pack grew worried for Tiriaq's long term wellbeing. 

Falcon suspected that there was some kind of sickness in Tiriaq that caused him to act this way. And with sickness, there came the possibility of a cure. She consulted her teacher, an old black bear who called the mountain home, about the possibility of an herbal remedy that could help Tiriaq adjust. But what the bear had to say surprised her. The remedy he recommended was patience, listening, and hard work.

Tiriaq began attending private talking sessions with Falcon and the bear soon after. At first, he was simply confused by the practice. Then, he grew frustrated; why would they make him do such a boring thing while the other pups got to play? He voiced these frustrations, and was again told that his treatment of the other pups -- including his brother Aqissiaq, who now bore permanent scars from Tiriaq -- was a cause of major concern. 

As of yet, the talking sessions have not improved Tiriaq's behavior. Rather, they've simply forced him to be more creative with his abuses. But where he cannot strike fear into another wolf, or bite where a wound cannot be easily seen, he still resorts to outright violence to get the reaction that he wants. 

Please Note: For roleplay and lore purposes, the wolf referred to as Tiriaq's father is Tanana's mate Ambrose. The actual in-game stud responsible for this pup's genetic makeup is Kaede.

Portrait by Canarysong#22908